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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29143266">My Roommate is a Supervillain</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Canaryhowl/pseuds/Canaryhowl'>Canaryhowl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain Marvel (2019), Spider-Woman (Comic), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Hydra (Marvel), Jessica Drew is really not into this Hydra thing, hydra jessica drew</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 08:15:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,858</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29143266</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Canaryhowl/pseuds/Canaryhowl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Carol doesn’t make friends easily. But she immediately forms a connection with her new roommate, Jessica Drew, AKA Spider-Woman. Unfortunately, Carol’s new best friend also happens to be an agent of HYDRA, and Jess’s latest mission is to kill Nick Fury. When Carol learns about her friend’s HYDRA ties, she enlists the help of Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes to free Jess from HYDRA’s thrall. </p><p>Too bad Jess isn’t sure that she wants to be saved. After all this time, she isn’t sure where HYDRA ends and she begins.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Carol Danvers &amp; Jessica Drew</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. This is why you always do a background check</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <strong>New York City</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>Living at Avengers Tower was fine some of the time. Carol appreciated the convenience of not needing to pay rent, especially with the frequency of her off-world travel. But living there also amounted to living with her coworkers, and Carol needed her own place, and she needed it fast. Unfortunately, the cost of living had risen dramatically since the nineties, so she needed a roommate, ideally one who wasn’t also an Avenger.</p><p>She found the perfect opportunity on a website Sam showed her called “Craigslist.” If it worked out, she would track this Craig down and personally thank him because it almost sounded too good to be true. A woman in her mid-twenties was looking for a roommate for her two-bedroom, rent-controlled apartment located just three blocks from the tower.</p><p>On the short walk over, Carol practiced for the interview with Sam.</p><p>“Just be yourself,” Sam said, “you’ll be fine.”</p><p>“I’m not sure a superhero would be everyone’s idea of a perfect roommate.”</p><p>He shrugged. “You never know.”</p><p>Carol was already impressed by the outside of the building, but the inside was even better than the photos from the website.</p><p>“Hi, I’m Jess,” her potential new roommate said. “You must be Carol.”</p><p>Jess had a British accent, but Carol had a hard time placing the region, possibly because Jess’s accent had evolved after spending quite a few years stateside.</p><p>“How’d you get such an amazing apartment?” Carol asked, admiring the view out the window. She could even see the top of Avengers Tower poking out from behind another building. “And rent-controlled too?”</p><p>“It would not be an exaggeration to say that I had to kill for it,” Jess said, her smile unwavering.</p><p>“Oh, I would too.” Carol could already tell that she was going to appreciate Jess’s sense of humor.</p><p>“Are you ready to get started with the interview?” Jess asked.</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>Jess flipped through the lengthy application Carol had filled out. “So, it looks like you don’t have much of a housing history listed,” Jess commented.</p><p>“I was in the Air Force, and now I’m a superhero, so I haven’t really had a home, per se, in a long time.”</p><p>“Don’t worry, that’s not a disqualifier for me. I’ve been there. Moving on... you wrote ‘it’s complicated’ under your employment history. What is it that you do for a living?”</p><p>“I’m a superhero.”</p><p>“Right, and I’m an agent of HYDRA,” Jess said dryly.</p><p>Carol chuckled. She opened her mouth and was about to persist and explain that she was being serious, but she hesitated. Although Carol typically didn’t bother trying to keep her alter ego a secret, there was a reason so many heroes kept a secret identity.</p><p>“I’m retired military. I can make the rent.”</p><p>Maybe Jess knowing would hurt Carol’s chances of getting the room. And if Jess found out the truth later, well... Carol could always say that she did tell her.</p><p>“I don’t doubt it. You know what—” Jess tossed the roommate application onto the coffee table. “—I’m ready to offer you the room right now, if you’ll accept. Almost everyone else who’s come by to look at the room propositioned me for sex.”</p><hr/><p>
  <strong> <em>HYDRA Base - Undisclosed Location</em> </strong>
</p><p>Jess was in between missions, which suited her just fine, considering the last was disastrous and the next one was bound to be just as bad. She strolled through the base, trying her best to look busy because non-busy agents got sent on crapsack missions. She turned a corner—and catching a glimpse of the back of a green-haired head—immediately turned right back around. Madame Hydra—Ophelia Sarkissian—was one of the leaders of HYDRA and not someone you wanted to encounter in a hallway.</p><p>Jess took off in the other direction and ducked into an empty classroom. The room was used to indoctrinate new recruits. She’d seen these classrooms and knew their purpose, but she couldn’t remember ever sitting at one of the desks, studying the HYDRA scripture. Maybe she’d always been a part of HYDRA.</p><p>Jess had only fleeting memories of the experiments that had given her superpowers—strength, speed, agility, venom blasts, and—like the boy in Queens—the ability to stick to walls.</p><p>“Agent Drew.”</p><p>Jess turned around slowly. Her fist was clenched, primed to release a venom blast if needed.</p><p>She relaxed when she saw it was just another HYDRA mook.</p><p>“Agent Smith,” she greeted.</p><p>“It’s Dewitt, actually,” he said.</p><p>“Of course. How could I forget.”</p><p>“Madame Hydra wants to see you.” Agent Dewitt looked her over as he said the words.</p><p>There were very few reasons Madame Hydra could want to see an agent, and even fewer that ended with said agent still being alive. Of course, Jess wasn’t an ordinary agent. She was enhanced, and that made her one of HYDRA’s select favorites. It was a status that Jess appreciated very little.</p><p>“Tell her I’m busy.”</p><p>“That’s not an option.”</p><p>Jess trailed Dewitt down the hallway, into Madame Hydra’s office. The office amounted to a throne room, it was so ornate. It was almost as if it were designed to make any visitor feel inadequate. Jess stood at attention as Madame Hydra’s eyes trailed over Jess’s body.</p><p>“You’re perfect, Jessica. For years, I have searched for a successor, but the perfect one has been right here, among us, this whole time.”</p><p>Madame Hydra cupped Jess’s cheek.</p><p>Jess inhaled deeply to keep herself from flinching. She wanted to slap the hand away, but disrespecting Madame Hydra was a sure way to get herself killed.</p><p>“Hmm... I have a mission for you,” Madame Hydra whispered, her breath warm against Jess’s ear. “But first, I think you could use some... reeducation.”</p><p>A rough hand grabbed Jess and guided her away.</p><hr/><p>
  <em> <strong>Jess (and Carol)’s Apartment — NYC</strong> </em>
</p><p>Jess looked at Carol’s cat—Chewie, named after some movie Jess had never seen.</p><p>“I had a shit day at work. My shit bosses gave me a shit assignment. I mean you can’t just go up and assassinate Nick Fury. They might as well have asked me to assassinate Captain America, you know, back when he wasn’t a senior citizen.”</p><p>She had the feeling that Carol wouldn’t want to hear Jess complain about work, at least not HYDRA-related work, but the cat was the next best thing.</p><p>“Don’t mention any of this to Carol. She wouldn’t approve.”</p><p>Chewie regarded her with a suspicious expression that convinced Jess that Chewie didn’t approve either.</p><p>A key rattled in the door, and Carol entered, just in time to see Jess nudge two empty beer bottles into the recycling bin.</p><p>“Save any for me?” Carol asked. “Bad day at work?”</p><p>“Work was beyond terrible today,” Jess said. “My boss... she thinks she’s my mum. She’s not, I don’t think. But she also tried to seduce me. It was weird.”</p><p>“That is weird.” Carol’s face lit up with concern. “Have you tried taking it to HR?”</p><p>Jess paused with her beer bottle to her lips, glad that she hadn’t just taken a sip because she would have spit it right back out. Did Carol seriously think that HYDRA had an HR department? Well, they did, but HYDRA’s HR department focused more on recruiting (i.e. brainwashing) and retention (i.e. more brainwashing) than in upholding labor laws.</p><p>“Maybe you should look for another job,” Carol said.</p><p>She made it sound so simple.</p><p>“Maybe...” Jess said. “Do you know anyone at SWORD? I could use an in with Nick Fury.” She said it half-jokingly and was surprised when Carol leaned forward and stared.</p><p>“You’re interested in working for SWORD?”</p><p>Jess nodded. It was true. She was interested in working for SWORD, to the extent that it would get her close enough to Nick Fury so that she could assassinate him. On the other hand, if she killed Fury, she would probably lose Carol as a roommate.</p><p>“I could set you up with an interview, but there’s a lengthy background check.”</p><p>And so Carol interview set Jess up with an interview for an entry-level position at SWORD.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Now is it time for a background check?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Monica interviews Jess for the job at SWORD. It doesn’t go as smoothly as Jess would have liked.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> <strong>SWORD Headquarters - Undisclosed Location</strong> </em>
</p><p>Jess dressed in her smartest pantsuit for the interview. Carol offered to fly her to out to SWORD headquarters, and Jess, while grateful for the offer, turned it down in favor of taking a taxi. It wouldn’t do to show up to her interview with a rumpled suit and wind-blown hair.</p><p>When she arrived, Monica Rambeau, a high-ranking SWORD agent and Carol’s honorary niece, greeted her.</p><p>“Jessica Drew? Captain Monica Rambeau. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Carol has only good things to say about you.”</p><p>Jess followed Monica down the hallway to an interview room that likely doubled as an interrogation room for extraterrestrial visitors.</p><p>“Jessica Drew,” Monica said, studying the potential new hire. “So, Carol says that you might be a low-level HYDRA goon, but that you were probably just joking.” She paused and eyed Jess. “Anything to say to that?”</p><p>Jess chuckled nervously.</p><p>The rest of interview went well, with Monica asking Jess questions and Jess answering based off of her well-researched but fully fabricated resume.</p><p>After the interview, Monica offered to show Jess around some of the facilities, which Jess took as a good sign.</p><p>About five minutes into the tour, Jess caught a glimpse of green hair at the other end of the hallway.</p><p>“Madame Hydra.”</p><p>Before anyone could react, Jess had leapt across the room.</p><p>She charged a venom blast and grabbed the woman by the collar.</p><p>“Hail this,” she said.</p><p>Before she could greet her green-haired prey with a fist full of venom, Jess felt a metallic taste fill her mouth. <em>It’s fine</em>, she told herself, <em>you’ve just bit your tongue. Nothing more.</em></p><p>Her ears rang. It was disorienting. She couldn’t tell which way was up, which wasn’t always such a concern since she could stick to walls but was a massive concern since she was trying to remain sane.</p><p>She could feel a voice taunting her. “Don’t you dare treat your mother this way.”</p><p>“You are NOT my mother.”</p><p>“No, I’m definitely not.” The voice was calm, monotone even—not the voice of Madame Hydra.</p><p>Jess dropped her fist and found herself staring into an unfamiliar face. The woman before Jess did have green hair, but the shape of her face, the eyebrows angling out from under green-tinted sunglasses—everything was wrong.</p><p>She released the woman’s collar.</p><p>With a gentle-but-firm touch, Monica pulled Jess away from the green-haired woman. Someone offered Jess a tissue, or more so forced one into her hand. Jess worried that she was crying, which would be an embarrassing way to end this already-mortifying interview experience, but when she wiped her face, she realized that a trail of blood was leaking from her nose.</p><p>Monica cleared her throat. “I see you’ve met Abigail Brand, the deputy director of SWORD.”</p><p>“Pleasure,” Abigail said, straightening out her shirt where Jess had grabbed it.</p><p>“I guess I’ve just ruined my chances at this job,” Jess said, taking a step back. She was ready to slink out of there before someone saw through her cover and decided to arrest her on the spot.</p><p>Abigail scoffed. “Please, this is not the first time someone’s mistaken me for Madame Hydra—and it won’t be the last. She only wishes she had my natural green locks.</p><hr/><p>
  <em> <strong>HYDRA Base - Undisclosed Location</strong> </em>
</p><p>“I got the job, boss,” Jess said.</p><p>Madame Hydra showed no sign of excited at this piece of good news. She looked at Jess coolly and said, “Jessica, dear, how many times do I have to tell you? Call me mother.”</p><p>Jess squeezed her eyes shut. The harsh fluorescent lights of the HYDRA base were compounding her growing headache.</p><p>When she was a kid, her parents—both scientists—involved her in their work. Whether that meant letting her hold a test tube or whether that meant testing their experiments on her—that depended on the day.</p><p>Her childhood memories were so fragmented, she was never sure if they had actually happened or if they were implanted by HYDRA. It didn’t help that whenever she tried to picture her parents’ faces, she developed a headache so intense she could barely stand.</p><p>“Jessica? Are you all right?”</p><p>Jess blinked past the pain to find a HYDRA agent looking at her with a level of compassion that contrasted heavily with the HYDRA-issue uniform he was wearing.</p><p>“I’m fine, Jared.” She wiped her nose with the edge of her sleeve—not the most sanitary thing to do, but it was the closest thing she had to a tissue at the moment—and stared at the smear of blood that had transferred to the shirt. That was new. She couldn’t remember ever getting nosebleeds before, and now she’d gotten two in one day.</p><p>“Let’s get you cleaned up.” He took her by the arm and guided her into the hallway.</p><p>Jess preferred to work alone, but when she couldn’t, Jared was her partner. She couldn’t remember exactly when they had met, but it felt like a long time ago. Sometimes, it felt like Jared was the only person in all of HYDRA who cared about her. And because HYDRA was Jess’s entire life, that meant that he was the only person in the world who cared about her.</p><hr/><p>
  <em> <strong>Madame Hydra’s Quarters - HYDRA Base</strong> </em>
</p><p>“As you requested,” Jared said, handing his superior a vial full of blood.</p><p>“Thank you, Jared.” Madame Hydra swirled the red liquid in a circle, and then popped open the lid to the vial, swishing the contents as she inhaled. “It smells like her. Perfect.”</p><p>“She still doesn’t think your her mother,” Jared said.</p><p>“Well, I suppose familial ties are difficult to reprogram.”</p><p>“But she does seem to think she knows me. I think, in time, that she could learn to love me.”</p><p>A jealous snarl passed over Madame Hydra’s face for a split second before she schooled her features.</p><p>“Remember—she’s mine. You’re here to facilitate Jessica’s mission. If you succeed—if Fury dies—there’s a place for you on the HYDRA council. If you fail... I’m sure my dear Jessica would enjoy it if I sliced you into pieces in front of you her.”</p><hr/><p>
  <em> <strong>Jess and Carol’s Apartment - NYC</strong> </em>
</p><p>“Congrats!” Carol said as soon as Jess entered the apartment. “You’re going to rock the new job.”</p><p>“Is that champagne?” Jess eyed the bottle; it hadn’t been sitting on the kitchen island when she’d left that morning.</p><p>“It’s a special occasion. I got ice cream too. I wasn’t sure if you’re more of a vanilla or a chocolate girl, so I got both.”</p><p>“I’m actually a sorbet person.”</p><p>Putting on an expression of mock shock, Carol held her hand over her heart. “No! Damn, that’s the kind of thing I should have vetted for before I agreed to be your roommate.”</p><p>Jess shrugged. “I think it’s better to not know everything. It keeps a relationship fresh if you’re continually learning new things about each other.”</p><p>At this, Carol smirked. “Well, I wouldn’t want to bore you.”</p><p>Jess rolled her eyes and walked over to the freezer before returning with a tub of sorbet and a spoon.</p><p>“Where did that come from? I looked all over the freezer for clues about what kind of ice scream you like but found nothing.”</p><p>Returning to her stool, Jess tapped the edge of the spoon to her lips. “We’ll keep that one a mystery.”</p><p>Carol smiled and leaned her elbows on the kitchen island. “So, how’d it go at work when you gave your notice?”</p><p>“Great. Just fine.” Jess tried to picture how Madame Hydra would react if Jess walked into HYDRA headquarters one day and handed in her two weeks’ notice. She’d seen first hand what HYDRA did to defectors, what they’d done to her mother. She thought of finding the body, surrounded by blood, and her mother’s green—<em>no, blond, definitely blond—</em>hair. Jess rubbed her forehead, suppressing the image like she’d been taught.</p><p>“You didn’t do it, did you?” Carol shook her head in disbelief. “Jess, you should have quit on the spot. You don’t owe them...”</p><p>Carol trailed off as her phone began to buzz. She held up a warning finger. “This is not over, but I have to take this.”</p><p>She ducked into her bedroom and accepted the call. “Thanks so much for giving Jess the job. I think she really needs it. Her current job is beyond toxic.”</p><p>“Carol,” Monica responded, her tone serious, “I agree—she needs this. I didn’t offer Drew the job because of her qualifications. I offered her the job because we need to keep an eye on her. I know she passed the background check, but based on what I observed, I would say that it is likely that she is, in fact, a HYDRA agent. That said—and while she definitely has issues—I don’t think she’s evil.”</p><p>“Thanks, Monica.”</p><p>Carol ended the call and stared at the blank screen for a moment, watching her reflection in the screen. She slipped her phone into her pocket and went to rejoin Jess in the other room.</p>
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